Werewolf (Great)
Superhuman Strength & Speed Accelerated Healing Longevity |location= }} Werewolf (狼男, Ōkamiotoko), otherwise known as Ilysanrua (, lit. "Ilysa's Brood" in the ancestress's tongue) or Children of the Moon (子種の月, Kodane no Tsuki) are a species residing in Ishgar and the western continent of Alakitasia. Created by the Moon Goddess Ataecina over a millennia ago, the species descends from the first werewolf Ilysa. Despite their elusiveness in common society, werewolves figure prominently in folklore as both a guardian of wild things and a menace, earning more than their fair share of ire. This included wolf killings that paralleled or coincided with witch-hunts, the latter a result of the two groups interbreeding. Hence, they often operate on the fringes, with isolated settlements or crowded urban settings their places of choice. History The story of werewolves starts with a girl whose original name is lost to time. What mattered is she was haughty, disrespectful, and spat on the old traditions. To the village, she was a nuisance who remained because of her productivity and her family's esteem within the settlement. However, their disapproval increased with each passing day as her flippant nature persisted. Little did they know, her day of reckoning was soon in the offing. Sneaking under the cover night, she would make her way to the village's temple, slipping in between watches with tools in hand. She crept towards the idols, making rude gestures at each before finding one that struck her fancy: the goddess of tides. Powerful and proud looking, the statue stood front and center, designed to have a clear view of the entire temple while the sea breeze blew against her back. As a seafaring and hunting people, the goddess was especially important to the villagers; her forever aloof expression infuriated the girl. Silent moonlight streamed over her figure as she creeped closer to the figure, unearthing her tools as she set about desecrating the statue. The sound of retreating footsteps would be lost on her as she focused on making the idol look as bad as possible. Once satisfied, she would sneak away, taking a back exit so as not to incriminate herself. That is, until she saw the crowd waiting for her. The moonlight shone directly on her person, as if proving who had done the deed. A few of the villagers stepped forward, only to suddenly shrink back. Palpable fury became terror as they started to retreat; at first, her confidence grew. They were afraid because they knew she was right. Before she could comment on this though, pain wracked her frame. She dropped to one knee as she felt bones pop; the other dropped shortly after. The moonlight burned her back as she grew, muscles shredded like paper as something forced itself outward. Her nose extended into a snout, teeth lengthening as her screams of agony came out as whimpers. Fur lined her body as her clothes ripped, a hulking figure replacing the slight girl. There was one more thing however; before she could suppress it, the girl howled, the ground shaking slightly. A tail whipped around as the pony-sized being lumbered forward. People screamed as they ran this way and that, fleeing the beast as it began to find its footing. The girl tried to say something, tried to get them to stop, only to hear growls and snarls leaving her mouth. Why won't they listen??? It's me!! she screamed internally. A mocking voice tsked in response. This is why we can't have nice things no? The frustration that followed as the locals screamed meant the beginnings of a rampage. She howled while trying to find some way of communicating, some way of starting a dialogue. Instead, she was treated to rocks and clubs. The few people who could use magic attacks began unloading them on her, eventually forcing the injured wolf girl into a hasty retreat. Sensing this, they continued their offensive, pushing her beyond the village limits and deep into the forest, only stopping when they were certain that the bleeding wolf would continue running. The voice chuckled once before disappearing, leaving a gulf of damning silence in its wake. A vengeance filled entity vindicated for the time being. It would take months for the girl to grow accustomed to her new form, seemingly trapped as she could not find it: her humanity. Gradually she would forget things, her name among the first things to go as she wandered the forest expanse. Other names disappeared as well, faces following them until all she could remember was to avoid that place at all costs. Why? The healed wounds on her body reminded her...pain, heat, and suffering. Only death awaited her in that village. A whimper escaped her throat; she had learned to hunt...well, forced to learn how to hunt when her belly ached after consistent failure, but she couldn't help but feel that she was missing out on something. What was it though? Occasionally she would hear a chuckling in her mind, feeling strains of pity accompanying it. Yet, she couldn't pin down why the two together filled her with a fury..though this too dulled as months dragged on into years. I suppose I've punished her long enough...poor thing looks so dejected. Hmm...maybe a big strong boy to keep her warm at night...a hunter. That should do. The wolf's melancholy would be broken by a bellow of pain and a roar one afternoon... Abilities Physiology Moonborn Notably, the race of werewolves classify themselves into two camps: the regular and the Moonborn. The Moonborn are the rarer of the two, seemingly appearing in one out of every one hundred werewolves on average. They are considered werewolf "nobility" of sorts, with lineages being "royalty" if they have a proven track record of producing Moonborn. Moreover, what makes them so special in their fellow werewolves eyes is their starting point: Moonborn possess shapeshifting abilities from birth. Unlike regulars, they can turn into wolves as babies, and maintain physical acumen that far exceeds other werewolves. Likewise, they possess complete control over their transformations, easily able to generate and adapt intermediate forms with changing circumstances. More importantly, they are able to empower themselves with the moon/moonlight as opposed to be controlled by it, augmenting already impressive physical abilities while strengthening any magic they use to unforeseeable heights. It's noted even regular werewolves sired by Moonborn possess some of their advantages, making Moonborn coveted as both pack leaders and mates. There's even a saying associated with the group, stating "One day, the moon while shine on a land built by her children"; most presume this to mean a werewolf kingdom will rise, gathering Lycana's descendants under one banner. Regulars Then there are the regulars, which make up the vast majority of the werewolf population. Unlike their counterparts, they remain almost indistinguishable from humans during adolescence, the only difference being sizable increases in strength and reflexes, with far sharper senses too. They also appear to age slower than their human counterparts, remaining a child for longer even if chronologically speaking, they are closer to teenage or young adult years. Perhaps most damning, however, is their inability to transform immediately. Unlike Moonborn, they require a catalyst or trigger to perform the first shifting, with said trigger typically of the emotional variety. Whether its something joyous or something terrible, if it leaves a strong impression on them, it triggers a reaction their child form cannot contain. It's noted the first shifting can be painful, as bones and body are reknit into something new; the comparatively marginal increases seen prior to shifting on banished for something on another echelon, as they're readapted for their new form. Perhaps most shocking, however, is when they shift back. Gone is the child who entered the transformation; in their place is a physically mature adult in the prime of their life. Both male and female werewolf regs stand at least a foot taller than their human counterparts, as their animalistic guise is fit inside themselves. Likewise, should the prospect of a mate be the cause for the initial transformation, their adult form would be molded in a manner necessary to capture that prospective mate's attention, increasing the likelihood of them forming a union. Interestingly, unlike their Moonborn counterparts, regulars can only make complete shifts, unable to use pieces of their transformation as needed. Furthermore, said "complete transformation" is difficult for them to resist during nighttime, becoming nigh-impossible to subvert during a full-moon, succumbing to their animal instincts for the duration of that night.